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eRuv: A Street History in Semacode
By Elliott Malkin, dziga
A digital graffiti project in New York City has paired Talmudic tradition with modern gadgetry to put a 21st century spin on Orthodox Judaism's eruv. An eruv uses physical markers like cords tied to poles to extend an Orthodox Jew's home to a broader community. It's helpful during the Sabbath, when such Jews aren't supposed to carry things like keys or prayer books outside their home. The eRuv project has recreated a stretch of the old Lower East Side eruv along the former Third Avenue elevated train line by using semacodes, which are like electronic bar codes that can be posted on walls or telephone poles. Passersby can use compatible, Internet-ready camera phones to access URLs and pick up historical tidbits along the former eruv boundary. (Thanks, The Revealer.) -- Rose Miller
http://www.dziga.com/eruv/index.php

The Road to Nowhere
By Clara Jeffery, Mother Jones
An assorted palette of statistics paints a bleak picture of America as an all-work-and-no-play nation. The gleaned figures collectively contrast the dull-boy US with the fun-boys of Europe and elsewhere. -- Archie Ingersoll
http://tinyurl.com/b7gjt

Overheard in New York
Published by S. Morgan Friedman, Edited by Michael Malice
Loudmouth New Yorkers beware -- there's a snarky website posting choice excerpts from conversations overheard in the Big Apple. Eavesdropping contributors have their ears perked on sidewalks, subway trains, and wherever else they can hear juicy tidbits. (Thanks, CampusProgress.) -- Archie Ingersoll
http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/

Call of the Wild
Mark Fisher, The Guardian
Environmental artist Angus Farquhar's latest work, The Storr, is drawing 200 Europeans for an illuminated hike through the Isle of Skye's unique and delicate landscape. The installation, which took four years to create, uses carefully designed lighting to highlight the natural beauty of the landscape, with pre-recorded soundscapes complementing the view. -- Rose Miller
http://tinyurl.com/83fea

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